Toolbox Talks

Circular Saw Do’s & Don’ts

Introduction
Accidents from powered and non powered cutting tools are one of the most common types of
“struck by” accidents in construction. It happens all too often on the job. Using the right
equipment with a bit of safety training can go a long way in preventing these accidents.

Additional Things to Consider

Understanding how to use the right combination of the tool, with the task, and by the user is
important. Here are a list of a few important Do’s and Don’ts that might help you reduce circular
saw accidents on the job.

✔ Don’t feed the material into the saw. Always take the saw to the material.

✔ Don’t ever force your blade back on line if you veer off your cut–line. This will only create
pinch points and can cause the saw to bind or even kick-back.

✔ Don’t put the saw blade any deeper than around 1/2” deeper than the wood you are cutting.
This will reduce your exposure to the blade.

✔ Don’t ever pin back or wedge the guard open when sawing. Always make sure the guard
returns to its proper position after you make your cut.

✔ Don’t carry the saw with your finger on the trigger. Never carry a running saw and always turn
it off before you move to another task.

✔ Don’t use a saw that is faulty or vibrates too much.

✔ Do add support to the wood that you’re cutting. If the wood is not supported, it will bind on
the blade. This could cause jamming, pinch points and kick backs.

✔ Do let the saw reach its full power before cutting, but don’t use more force than necessary.
This can overheat the motor or cause kickback. Cut slowly and steadily, and never overreach.

Final Thoughts
These minimum training and equipment requirements, if followed correctly, will greatly reduce the
risk of serious injury on the job site. For more information regarding this subject, please reference
the applicable sections of the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation.

SiteDocs Safety Corp. exists to provide resources to the construction industry, and as such, can not be held responsible in any way for the hazardous attitudes, actions or behaviors of any worker, or
for unsafe working conditions. Furthermore, SiteDocs Safety Corp. assumes no responsibility for any misinformation contained in these resources as they do not supersede provincial or Federal
Regulations. Therefore, it is the user's sole responsibility to become acquainted with the requirements as set forth in the Worker's Compensation Act and the Occupational Health & Safety
Regulation as it relates to their respective industry.